The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-03
HOW THEY HANDLE CATTLE
A Glimpse of the Way Business Is Con-
Quoted at the Local St0ckyards.
Where the City's Meat Supply Comes from
What the Livestock Men Say About Their
System Of Inspection.

Eight or nine cars. loaded with CATTLE were
backed to the stockyards receiving pens, day
before yesterday, when enc invited to lcok
ut the unloading asked for a safe place of OBJ
servatioD. The yard-master said, "Get the
fence. But there is no danger with cattle like
these. There may be wild one in the lot but
we can manage him. II you had been here this
morning, though. you would have had company.
About seventy i've or a hundred men. buyers,
commission and employees, were in the
lanes, when lot of Texas steers were driven off
the They went plungiug down on the
crowd, with heads lowered and tails up. In
three seconds every man was on the fence"
The lot of cattle of which the yard master and
his assistants had no fear was termed good. and
10 the eyes of one not an expert there was moth
ing TO suggest a doubt of the cattle making fine
beef ct least There not worn, crippled
or damaged animal among the seventy-fve head.
Where did those cattle come from" was
asked.
"A portion of them came from along the JEFF
fersonvile road and some from towards Vim
cennes- They Indiana cattle, and will grade
well"
''Do you often have crippled, damaged or dis
eased cattleq"
mo. Sometimes we get them, but not as fire.
been a crippled steer here for five weeks. The
last we had were three. They were badly used
mp. The consgnee had them killed. Sometimes
a steer that is cramped in the will come ont
all right, but after walking q short distance fall
90 the ground. In day or two the steer will
move about as we'll as if il had never been
troubled by long ride on the cars. Diseased
catSleare rare. and they are always killed be-
IL the Board OF Health inspector is not here
we notify him, and ont he comes to take charge
OF the animal. About year ago we got lot OF
cattle fed on distilled slops. They had not had
a drop of water for five months. The
Stops were both food and drink for
them, md a consequence, their bones
were soft. One of the steers, the moment it
stepped on the ground, broke fore leg. and as
IL fell the other fore leg was broken. That steer
had to be killed. We did not want to do il with
out orders from the Board of Health or the con-
sgnee. The meat inspector came when notified
and ordered il to be done. but two months after
wards the owner sent in bill for 500. He was
not paid"
us the meat Of slop-fed cattle gcod9"
ut is rated as prime meat. but none OF it gets
into the local market. The cattle shipped
East, where the meat commands n good price"
Ii is the opinion at the stockyards that the
beef cattle this year are much better than last.
At this time the best begins to come in, after two
or three months of good grazing and it is said
have been tough and not strictly
first-class, the trouble is
count OF winter food. The moment q
cattle train is pushed into the yards the animals
are taken into the sheds, of which there
four divided into twenty pens each. Here, the
next morning, the purchases are made by whole
sale butchers. It is stated that the various lots
carefully inspected and while there in
fe-ior grades, all of the cattle make good meat.
The best beeves MAJ day fall to Eastern
purchasers. and che next be taken up by
home buyers. 1t is a matter of trading in which
the highest market price prevails Nearly all Of
the cattle that reach the indianapolis stockyards
come from Illinois, Indiana and Texas. The
yards will accommodate from 125 To $50
loads, but the average daily receipts ut this
season Of the year seventy-fve cars. In this
must be included hogs and sheep Hogs come in,
IL is said. in much better condition than former
ly. cholera nog or two is not rarity. but it
is asserted that they do not get into the market,
because butchers are afraid to buy them. They
are killed and the meat is destroyed. mot az
cholera hog is killed for the market" said
the yardmaster. "a few years ago the meat of
many of them got there"
3The yards in good coalition, the sheds be-
ing kept clean such buildings can be. while
che cattle and hogs in their pens not over
crowded. It is claimed that the Indian polls
yards equal to any in the country, and a day
o two since the Cincinnati meat inspector went
through them. and commended the employees for
the they took in their work. The business
IS reduced to accurate system. and the officers
of the yards say that while there is just
cause for complaint against the yards and the
commission mon, they would like 20 have a meat
inspector who could be there all the time. They
do not say that there is much need for his
Hces, but officer Of that kind in constant at
tendance would prevent any possible abuse of
public confidence.